About Steve Pappaterra

Steve Pappaterra in a black shirt looking and smiling forward at the camera outside on the grass

Everyone has a story . . . this one happens to be mine . . . musically, at least.

I’ve been playing drums professionally since becoming a member of The Lamplighters, an 18-piece big band at age 17, playing over 450 performances over the next four years. I commuted weekly to New York City for 3½ years to study drums, mallets, and timpani. I played extensively with the Benny Snyder Orchestra, and then joined an 8-piece rock band. After moving closer to Philadelphia, I worked with the City Rhythm Orchestra for 2 years, performed on week-long cruises with the Al Raymond Orchestra and, for many years, played with the Upfront Big Band, along with many others. I’ve also done my share of weddings, jazz gigs, and club dates.

Today, and for the last 20 years, I have mainly worked as a drummer and percussionist for musical theater, cabaret performances, and big band throughout the Philadelphia/New Jersey/ Delaware region. I have worked hard to develop skills as a fluent sight-reader comfortable in various musical idioms. In particular, I’ve gained a reputation as a reliable and meticulously-prepared sub for theater work. In addition, for the past three years, I have served as principal percussionist for the South Jersey Pops, a 77-piece orchestra that plays everything from Broadway to Bon Jovi.

As for my teachers, I’ve been blessed, having studied drums for six years with New Jersey jazz great, Tony DeNicola (The College of New Jersey). Then, on to the legendary Henry Adler, and timpani and mallets with Morris “Arnie” Lang (40 years with the New York Philharmonic). (Both are inductees in the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.) I also studied with Doug Allen (Broadway, Sinatra, New York Philharmonic) and Carl Mottola (Temple University and Atlantic City showrooms). Later, I’ve continued learning new skills from Mark Walker, Joe Nero, and Terry Silverlight.

Creating this website has stirred up a welcome mix of nostalgia and a not-so-quiet spark for new and exciting adventures. The road forward feels rich with possibility, guided by gratitude for the past and an eagerness for new opportunities. To quote the poet Dante (circa 1300), perhaps “a mighty flame followeth a tiny spark.” Let’s see what comes next . . .

  • Earliest Memories

    One of my earliest memories is my mom taking my brother and me to see West Side Story. It left a lasting impression. In the photo, you see the three geniuses behind that masterpiece – Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Robbins – collaborating at the height of their creative powers. Like my mom, my dad had a deep love for music. He saw hundreds of Broadway shows, adored Barbra Streisand, and introduced me to one of my favorite singers, Linda Eder.

    1963

  • My First Record Album

    Pretty ironic that, despite the photo of Gary Lewis at the drums, it was the great Hal Blaine who actually played on the recording. My first 45 was The Mouse by Soupy Sales. Later, after listening to Streisand’s album, The Way We Were, at my dad’s apartment, I was hooked on stirring vocals accompanied with gorgeous orchestrations.

    1965-1972

  • My First Drumsticks

    A constant presence throughout my life has been Jack Jones. Twice a year, my mom would go see Jack perform – at the Plaza Hotel or Persian Room in New York, or the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, starting a friendship that would last the rest of her life. I first asked to take drum lessons at age 7, but she finally relented when I turned 10 after Jack’s excellent drummer, Chuck Hughes, gave me my first drumsticks. I’ll never forget seeing Jack with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. Jack walks on stage, looks out into the audience, and calls out “Hello Delores” to my mom. He then proceeded to blow the roof off the Kimmel Center with his peerless blend of power, jazz and sophistication.

    1966-Present

  • My First Drum Lessons

    With my twin brother, Marty, at about the age I started taking drum lessons at Dick Wilshaw’s Drum Studio in Trenton. My first teacher, Joe Larkin, threatened to drop me after several weeks if I didn’t start practicing. The first song I ever played along to was “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies. Egadds! I got serious when I started studying with Tony DeNicola, who really taught me to play, along with my fabulous high school bandleader/drummer, Geoff Baker. I worked with Tony for 6 years before studying with Henry Adler in New York, who had also been Tony’s teacher.

    1968-1978

  • The Start of my Professional Career

    At age 17, I auditioned for Bob Smith’s Lamplighters, an 18-piece big band. That was the start of my professional career. For nearly four years, I played with them three to four nights a week, immersing myself in the music of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Sinatra, and more. Each gig included “Sing, Sing, Sing” or “Woodchopper’s Ball,” where I’d play a long drum solo followed by the brass section wailing away while stationed among the audience. I will always be grateful for the opportunity and mentoring from Bob and his brother, Rich.

    1975-1978

  • My Teachers

    Between 1978 and 1983, I studied with three extraordinary teachers: Henry Adler, Morris “Arnie” Lang in New York (both in the Percussive Arts Hall of Fame), and Carl Mottola. Mr. Adler was a wonderful man who gained fame as a teacher, publisher, and drum instructional book author. He was a close friend of Buddy Rich and built his reputation modeling and teaching Buddy’s technique. He and Buddy co-authored the seminal 1942 drum book, Buddy Rich’s Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments. Mr. Lang spent 40 years with the New York Philharmonic and helped prepare me for conservatory auditions. I vividly remember my Juilliard audition—playing marimba, timpani, and snare drum for the New York Philharmonic’s Saul Goodman, Elden “Buster” Bailey, and Roland Kohloff. Carl Mottola, a first-call Philadelphia drummer and Temple University professor, could sight-read practically anything.

    1978-1983

  • Rewarding Opportunites

    During the 1980s, I played clubs and weddings, though those gigs weren’t especially fulfilling. But the '90s brought more rewarding opportunities: I performed extensively with the City Rhythm Orchestra, Jeff and Connie Pelesh’s Upfront Big Band, and the Al Raymond Orchestra, including two unforgettable cruise gigs.

    1980s and 1990s

  • Theater Performances

    Over the past 20 years, as big band bookings have become increasingly rare, I’ve shifted my focus to theater work (see Theaters page), where I’ve developed a strong reputation as a reliable sub. In addition, I’ve played for and produced cabarets, house concerts, and memorial celebrations, and have regularly accompanied church praise bands. Most rewarding has been serving as principal percussionist for the 77-piece South Jersey Pops, playing everything from Broadway to Bon Jovi.

    2000-Present